Archive for the ‘Bible Studies’ Category

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Wholesome Words September 8, 2010 Our Daily Bread is hosted by Les Lamborn   READ: Ephesians 4:25-32 Let no corrupt word proceed out of your mouth, but what is good for necessary edification, that it may impart grace to the hearers. —Eph. 4:29 In November 2008, the US Supreme Court debated the constitutional limits on foul language. The Federal Communications Commission cited a national broadcasting company for allowing two entertainers to use two common profanities on the air. The broadcasting company argued that “fleeting” profanity that was not blatantly sexual should not be punished. Others countered that it is our duty to protect children from such language. The issue of inappropriate language was not up for debate in the church at Ephesus. Paul instructed believers that one of the ways they were to respond to the blessings of redemption and being made alive in Christ was by guarding their speech (4:29). Paul did not want them to be characterized by their old way of living, which included corrupt and unwholesome speech, profanity, malicious gossip, slander, or anything that injures another and sparks dissension. Instead, he wanted the Ephesians through their words to “impart grace” and encouragement, as the need arose. As followers of Jesus Christ, we want the words that flow from our hearts and out of our mouths to be a life-giving spring. And may all who hear our words receive a blessing. —Marvin Williams Lord, set a guard upon my lips, My tongue control today; Help me evaluate each thought And watch each word I say. —Hess God’s Word should shape our words.

From Gail:

It is easy to say “I didn’t mean that,” when we say mean things to people, but it is sound psychology and scripture that deep down inside, buried in the subconscious, you did mean it, or you wouldn’t have said it.  In these situations, we need to work through our feelings to get the subconscious to the conscious level so we can deal with whatever is causing us to say mean things, especially to those we love.

¹⁸But those things which proceed out of the mouth come forth from the heart, and they defile the man.  19For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies: (Matthew 15)

Today, ask God to reveal secret sins in your life and to give you insight into why you say or think mean things.  Ask yourself what this situation reminds you of that mean things came out of your mouth.

¹⁷ This is what the LORD says—
       your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel:
       “I am the LORD your God,
       who teaches you what is best for you,
       who directs you in the way you should go. (Isaiah 48:17)

Psalm 119

¹  Blessed are they whose ways are blameless,
       who walk according to the law of the LORD.

 ² Blessed are they who keep his statutes
       and seek him with all their heart. 

⁹ How can a young man keep his way pure?
       By living according to your word.

¹¹Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against Thee.

¹⁸ Open my eyes that I may see
       wonderful things in your law. 

 ²⁹ Keep me from deceitful ways;
       be gracious to me through your law.  

³⁷ Turn my eyes away from worthless things;
       preserve my life according to your word.  

⁵⁰ My comfort in my suffering is this:
       Your promise preserves my life. 

 ⁶⁷ Before I was afflicted I went astray,
       but now I obey your word. 

 ⁶⁹ Though the arrogant have smeared me with lies,
       I keep your precepts with all my heart.

 ⁷⁰ Their hearts are callous and unfeeling,
       but I delight in your law. 

⁷⁸ May the arrogant be put to shame for wronging me without cause;
       but I will meditate on your precepts. 

 ¹⁰⁵ Your word is a lamp to my feet
       and a light for my path. 

Do you realize that in general, the Bible is one big prayer?  You can take anything in the Bible and personalize it to form your own prayer to God, even the history.  The above example is an example of this.

Today, as you read your Bible, personalize certain verses to form your own prayer to God.  Remember Hebrews 4:12:

For the Word of God is living and powerful and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.

” I don’t know right from wrong.”  It is a sad thing when I hear this from young people (although they would if they had adults in their life that did).  If you are wondering at this point, what right from wrong is, let’s review the Ten Commandments.  Remember, they are commandments, not ten suggestions.

The first four have to do with our direct relationship with God (vertical) and the last six have to do with our indirect relationship with God (horizontal)  as to how we treat others.

Exodus 20

   And God spoke all these words, saying:

   
“I am the LORD thy God, who have brought thee out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage.

    
1. ”Thou shalt have no other gods before Me.

What does this mean in today’s society.  It simply means anything you put before God is an idol–TV, sports, money,etc.  How about yourself?  If this is the case, you have unwittingly made yourself an idol.

  2. “Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth.

This is an extension of the first commandment.  Back in biblical times, people made statues of their gods and bowed down to them.  We are never to make any image of God and bow down to it or worship it. 

3. “Thou shalt not take the name of the LORD thy God in vain, for the LORD will not hold him guiltless that taketh His name in vain.

This is not limited to swear words.  Any time you take the Bible lightly, you are taking God’s name in vain.  If you choose not to obey it, you are taking the Lord’s name in vain. 

  4. ”Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. For in six days the LORD made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day. Therefore the LORD blessed the Sabbath day and hallowed it.

Jesus said “man was not made for the Sabbath, but the Sabbath made for man.” (Mark 2:27).  God knows we need a day of rest for our bodies and minds.  It is a time to worship and think on Jesus and all He has done for us. 

 5. ”Honor thy father and thy mother, that thy days may be long upon the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee.

This doesn’t mean we have to agree with them on everything, especially when we are adults.  It doesn’t mean they have the right to order us around after we are adults.  What it does mean is to hold them in respect and respectfully disagree with them if need arises.

 6. “Thou shalt not kill.

This is not limited to murder.  There is a separate Hebrew word that is exclusive to murder.  This Hebrew word used includes murder.  It also includes killing someone’s spirit within them, their hopes, dreams, happiness, etc.

 7. ”Thou shalt not commit adultery.

This means betrayal of one’s spouse.  Since God considers us the “Bride of Christ,” he puts a strong emphasis on loyalty in marriage.  Under the New Covenant,however, looking at a woman lustfully is considered adultery because now what’s  in the heart counts.  Jesus says in Matthew 5:27, “You have heard that it was said, ‘Do not commit adultery.’But I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart.”

8. ”Thou shalt not steal.

Again, this is not limited to shoplifting.  How many times have you stolen someone’s ideas, hopes, dreams, happiness?  How about their pride and dignity.

   
9. “Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbor.

This simply means lying and it isn’t limited to the courtroom.  A lying tongue is an abomination to God.

 10.  “Thou shalt not covet thy neighbor’s house; thou shalt not covet thy neighbor’s wife, nor his manservant, nor his maidservant, nor his ox, nor his donkey, nor anything that is thy neighbor’s.”

In other words, don’t have a “keep up with the Jones’s” attitude.  The Bible talks about being content with what we have and when the time is right, God will exalt you if you don’t try to exalt yourself.

I think if we are all honest with ourselves, we can honestly say we have broken all of them more than once.  Today is a good day to reflect on our lives.  Rid yourself of your “this is just the way I am” attitude” and resolve to make yourself a better person.  Take it slowly.  As the saying  goes, “inch by inch, anything’s a cinch.  Yard by yard it is very hard.”  List your ten major faults you want to improve on in the priority of importance and work on them one at a time.  Don’t be in a hurry.  Change takes time and most important, remember that only God can change your heart.

At any rate, now you know right from wrong, and God will hold you accountable based on what you know.  Choose wisely your actions and plans for life.

Luke 8

Women Who Followed Jesus

 ¹ Soon afterward Jesus began a tour of the nearby towns and villages, preaching and announcing the Good News about the Kingdom of God. He took his twelve disciples with him, ² along with some women who had been cured of evil spirits and diseases. Among them were Mary Magdalene, from whom he had cast out seven demons; ³ Joanna, the wife of Chuza, Herod’s business manager; Susanna; and many others who were contributing their own resources to support Jesus and his disciples.

What can we learn from these passages?  First, women played an important role in the life of Jesus, and some of them obviously had wealth.  They loved him enough to support his earthly ministry.  They wanted to follow him because they loved him and he loved them.

What else can we learn from scripture about women of the Bible in the New Testament?

 ⁵⁶But all this was done that the Scriptures of the prophets might be fulfilled.” Then all the disciples forsook Him and fled.  ⁵⁷And those who had laid hold on Jesus led Him away to Caiaphas the high priest, where the scribes and the elders were assembled.

Where were the women?  They were at the feet of Jesus while he was on the cross.  Later, only John came back. The others stayed away at a distance.  The others either denied him directly (Peter) or indirectly by fleeing.

   
 ²⁷And there followed Him a great company of people, and of women who also bewailed and lamented Him. ²⁸But Jesus, turning unto them, said, “Daughters of Jerusalem, weep not for Me, but weep for yourselves and for your children. ⁵⁵And the women also, who came with Him from Galilee, followed after, and beheld the sepulcher and how His body was laid. ¹⁰It was Mary Magdalene and Joanna and Mary the mother of James, and other women who were with them, who told these things unto the apostles.

Because of their loyalty, it was the women that Jesus revealed himself to first after his resurrection.

What can we learn from this lesson?  It was all about who loved Jesus the most at this given period of time.  How much do you love Jesus?  Are you a true friend or just a “fair weathered” friend of Jesus?  Do you worship him just when things are going great?  What happens when things go bad, do you forsake him?

All of you, clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, because, 
“God opposes the proud but  gives grace to the humble. ⁶Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand. I Peter 5:5-6.

Why is this scripture so important to God?  Because the proud and arrogant portray the attributes of Satan himself.  Exekiel 28 portrays the prideful arrogance of the arch angel Lucifer that God created–probably the most beautiful angel of all he created. This is God describing Lucifer, who after the fall became known as Satan. 

  ” ‘You were the model of perfection,
       full of wisdom and perfect in beauty.

 ¹³ You were in Eden,
       the garden of God;
       every precious stone adorned you:
       ruby, topaz and emerald,
       chrysolite, onyx and jasper,
       sapphire, turquoise and beryl.  
       Your settings and mountings  were made of gold;
       on the day you were created they were prepared.

 ¹⁴ You were anointed as a guardian cherub,
       for so I ordained you.
       You were on the holy mount of God;
       you walked among the fiery stones.

 ¹⁵ You were blameless in your ways
       from the day you were created
       till wickedness was found in you.

 ¹⁶ Through your widespread trade
       you were filled with violence,
       and you sinned.
       So I drove you in disgrace from the mount of God,
       and I expelled you, O guardian cherub,
       from among the fiery stones.

 ¹⁷ Your heart became proud
       on account of your beauty,
       and you corrupted your wisdom
       because of your splendor.
       So I threw you to the earth;
       I made a spectacle of you before kings.

What did Lucifer want to do?  Isaiah 14 gives us the answer:

        ¹² How you have fallen from heaven,
       O morning star, son of the dawn!
       You have been cast down to the earth,
       you who once laid low the nations!

 ¹³ You said in your heart,
       “I will ascend to heaven;
       I will raise my throne
       above the stars of God;
       I will sit enthroned on the mount of assembly,
       on the utmost heights of the sacred mountain. ^[c]

 ¹⁴ I will ascend above the tops of the clouds;
       I will make myself like the Most High.”

So Lucifer was cast from heaven, lost all his glory and honor all because of rebellion, and this is why rebellion is as witchcraft, as God described it to Saul when he took his kingdom from him.

  ²³For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, and stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry. Because thou hast rejected the word of the LORD, He hath also rejected thee from being king.” (I samuel 15:23)

Today, ponder what ways you are proud and arrogant.  Do you feel superior to your wife/husband?  Are you rejecting God’s will for your life?  Do you want your will to be God’s will?  Reread my blog on secret sins.  You may need to ask God to reveal to you your secret sin of pride and arrogance.  We are all guilty of the sins of pride and arrogance.  Nobody is exempt.  It is our human nature.  God knows and understands this.  What is is watching for is how we handle it.  Do we entertain it or strive to overcome it?

Job 27

 ¹ And Job continued his discourse:

 ² “As surely as God lives, who has denied me justice,
       the Almighty, who has made me taste bitterness of soul,

 ³ as long as I have life within me,
       the breath of God in my nostrils,

 ⁴ my lips will not speak wickedness,
       and my tongue will utter no deceit.

 ⁵ I will never admit you are in the right;
       till I die, I will not deny my integrity.

 ⁶ I will maintain my righteousness and never let go of it;
       my conscience will not reproach me as long as I live.

 ⁷ “May my enemies be like the wicked,
       my adversaries like the unjust!

 ⁸ For what hope has the godless when he is cut off,
       when God takes away his life?

 ⁹ Does God listen to his cry
       when distress comes upon him?

 ¹⁰ Will he find delight in the Almighty?
       Will he call upon God at all times?

 ¹¹ “I will teach you about the power of God;
       the ways of the Almighty I will not conceal.

It is important to remember that we must never be guilty of adding to other’s sorrows.  Many Christians, sadly to say, are guilty of this.  They want to be part of the problem not part of the solution.

Sometimes, the reason God allows bad things is so His love can show tangibly through you so people can relate to Him.

Today, remember to reach a helping hand to those hurting around you.  Ask God to show them to you so your paths can cross and you show the love of Christ, not the condemnation of Christ, which is a false representation of Him, and Jesus will hold you accountable for being such a poor representation of what He stands for.

We all know the traditional Lord’s prayer, but how many of us know the real Lord’s prayer of John 17 just before Jesus was arrested?  Let’s study it some.

First it is divided into 3 parts.  The first part, Jesus prayers for himself, but he glorified his Father first, then himself.  How many of us has asked God to glorify himself through us?

  ¹ Jesus spoke these words, lifted up His eyes to heaven, and said: “Father, the hour has come. Glorify Your Son, that Your Son also may glorify You, ² as You have given Him authority over all flesh, that He should give eternal life to as many as You have given Him. ³ And this is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent. ⁴ I have glorified You on the earth. I have finished the work which You have given Me to do. ⁵ And now, O Father, glorify Me together with Yourself, with the glory which I had with You before the world was.

Second, Jesus prays for his twelve disciples, save one, Judas Iscariot, who will be lost forever.  This was important because these twelve would spread the gospel around the world as first hand eye witnesses of who Jesus was and the work he did on the cross.  This was his plan–his initial twelve would spread the gospel, and then, in turn, those who received it would spread the good news also, thus spreading the gospel.  As his disciples, how faithful have you been in spreading the gospel so that others may know and believe?

 ⁶ “I have manifested Your name to the men whom You have given Me out of the world. They were Yours, You gave them to Me, and they have kept Your word. ⁷ Now they have known that all things which You have given Me are from You. ⁸ For I have given to them the words which You have given Me; and they have received them, and have known surely that I came forth from You; and they have believed that You sent Me.
⁹ “I pray for them. I do not pray for the world but for those whom You have given Me, for they are Yours. ¹⁰ And all Mine are Yours, and Yours are Mine, and I am glorified in them. ¹¹ Now I am no longer in the world, but these are in the world, and I come to You. Holy Father, keep through Your name those whom You have given Me, that they may be one as We are. ¹² While I was with them in the world, I kept them in Your name. Those whom You gave Me I have kept; and none of them is lost except the son of perdition, that the Scripture might be fulfilled. ¹³ But now I come to You, and these things I speak in the world, that they may have My joy fulfilled in themselves. ¹⁴ I have given them Your word; and the world has hated them because they are not of the world, just as I am not of the world. ¹⁵ I do not pray that You should take them out of the world, but that You should keep them from the evil one. ¹⁶ They are not of the world, just as I am not of the world. ¹⁷ Sanctify them by Your truth. Your word is truth. ¹⁸ As You sent Me into the world, I also have sent them into the world. ¹⁹ And for their sakes I sanctify Myself, that they also may be sanctified by the truth.

Third, Jesus prayers for all future believers that include you and me.  His key thought and desire that we would all be one, as he and the Father are one.  Why do you suppose it is so difficult for us to all be one, even if our belief systems are different?  We must all strive to be peace makers and the only way to do that is to crucify self as Jesus was crucified and think of others more highly than yourself.

²⁰ “I do not pray for these alone, but also for those who will believe in Me through their word; ²¹ that they all may be one, as You, Father, are in Me, and I in You; that they also may be one in Us, that the world may believe that You sent Me. ²² And the glory which You gave Me I have given them, that they may be one just as We are one: ²³ I in them, and You in Me; that they may be made perfect in one, and that the world may know that You have sent Me, and have loved them as You have loved Me.
²⁴ “Father, I desire that they also whom You gave Me may be with Me where I am, that they may behold My glory which You have given Me; for You loved Me before the foundation of the world. ²⁵ O righteous Father! The world has not known You, but I have known You; and these have known that You sent Me. ²⁶ And I have declared to them Your name, and will declare it, that the love with which You loved Me may be in them, and I in them.”

Today, ponder the true Lord’s prayer, and jot down ways you can fulfill the desire of Christ for us to be his witnesses in words and actions so that others will desire him.

    ⁸Our iniquities, our secret heart and its sins [which we would so like to conceal even from ourselves], You have set in the [revealing] light of Your countenance. (Psalm 90)

¹²Who can understand his errors? Cleanse Thou me from secret faults. (Psalm 19)

 ⁶Therefore pride compasseth them about as a chain; violence covereth them as a garment.  ⁷Their eyes stand out with fatness; they have more than heart could wish. ⁸They are corrupt, and speak wickedly concerning oppression; they speak loftily. ¹⁶When I thought to understand this, it was too painful for me, ¹⁷until I went into the sanctuary of God. Then understood I their end: ¹⁸surely Thou didst set them in slippery places. Thou didst cast them down into destruction! ¹⁹How they are brought into desolation, as in a moment! They are utterly consumed with terrors! (Psalm 73)

My blog is primarily concerned with positive articles with the intent to encourage you in your walk through the jungle of life. What positive message is in these passages?

First, God’s love mandates warnings.  Warnings are for our own good because he loves us.  What kind of parents wouldn’t warn or discipline their children of impending danger?  Only parents that love their children will do this.

Second, repentance is an easy thing to do if we love God more than ourselves.  God is so quick to forgive.

Today, ask God to reveal your secret sins in your subconscious mind.  You will be glad you did.  You will be a happier and more peaceful at heart if you did.  You will wonder whatever took you so long in praying this simple prayer.

Everything Is Meaningless

 ² “Everything is meaningless,” says the Teacher, “completely meaningless!”

 ³ What do people get for all their hard work under the sun? ⁴ Generations come and generations go, but the earth never changes. ⁵ The sun rises and the sun sets, then hurries around to rise again. ⁶ The wind blows south, and then turns north. Around and around it goes, blowing in circles. ⁷ Rivers run into the sea, but the sea is never full. Then the water returns again to the rivers and flows out again to the sea. ⁸ Everything is wearisome beyond description. No matter how much we see, we are never satisfied. No matter how much we hear, we are not content.

 ⁹ History merely repeats itself. It has all been done before. Nothing under the sun is truly new. ¹⁰ Sometimes people say, “Here is something new!” But actually it is old; nothing is ever truly new. ¹¹ We don’t remember what happened in the past, and in future generations, no one will remember what we are doing now.

The Teacher Speaks: The Futility of Wisdom

 ¹² I, the Teacher, was king of Israel, and I lived in Jerusalem. ¹³ I devoted myself to search for understanding and to explore by wisdom everything being done under heaven. I soon discovered that God has dealt a tragic existence to the human race. ¹⁴ I observed everything going on under the sun, and really, it is all meaningless—like chasing the wind.

 ¹⁵ What is wrong cannot be made right.
      What is missing cannot be recovered.

 ¹⁶ I said to myself, “Look, I am wiser than any of the kings who ruled in Jerusalem before me. I have greater wisdom and knowledge than any of them.” ¹⁷ So I set out to learn everything from wisdom to madness and folly. But I learned firsthand that pursuing all this is like chasing the wind.

 ¹⁸ The greater my wisdom, the greater my grief.
      To increase knowledge only increases sorrow.

Do you quite often feel like Solomon did?  Some say Ecclesiastes was Solomon’s search for wisdom.  I am not sure this is true.  It was apparently written after Solomon was old and he was looking back on his life.  He had it all–God gave him wealth, power, fame.  Like people of today, he squandered it all on himself.  Le’ts read on:

   ¹ I said to myself, “Come on, let’s try pleasure. Let’s look for the ‘good things’ in life.” But I found that this, too, was meaningless. ² So I said, “Laughter is silly. What good does it do to seek pleasure?” ³ After much thought, I decided to cheer myself with wine. And while still seeking wisdom, I clutched at foolishness. In this way, I tried to experience the only happiness most people find during their brief life in this world.

Solomon’s famous words in direct translations from the Hebrew is “all was vanity–a chasing after the wind.”  What else did he try?

 ⁴ I also tried to find meaning by building huge homes for myself and by planting beautiful vineyards. ⁵ I made gardens and parks, filling them with all kinds of fruit trees. ⁶ I built reservoirs to collect the water to irrigate my many flourishing groves. ⁷ I bought slaves, both men and women, and others were born into my household. I also owned large herds and flocks, more than any of the kings who had lived in Jerusalem before me. ⁸ I collected great sums of silver and gold, the treasure of many kings and provinces. I hired wonderful singers, both men and women, and had many beautiful concubines. I had everything a man could desire!

 ⁹ So I became greater than all who had lived in Jerusalem before me, and my wisdom never failed me. ¹⁰ Anything I wanted, I would take. I denied myself no pleasure. I even found great pleasure in hard work, a reward for all my labors. ¹¹ But as I looked at everything I had worked so hard to accomplish, it was all so meaningless—like chasing the wind. There was nothing really worthwhile anywhere.

Solomon finally came to two conclusions, and one final conclusion– The first is:

A Time for Everything

 ¹ For everything there is a season,
      a time for every activity under heaven.
 ² A time to be born and a time to die.
      A time to plant and a time to harvest.
 ³ A time to kill and a time to heal.
      A time to tear down and a time to build up.
 ⁴ A time to cry and a time to laugh.
      A time to grieve and a time to dance.
 ⁵ A time to scatter stones and a time to gather stones.
      A time to embrace and a time to turn away.
 ⁶ A time to search and a time to quit searching.
      A time to keep and a time to throw away.
 ⁷ A time to tear and a time to mend.
      A time to be quiet and a time to speak.
 ⁸ A time to love and a time to hate.
      A time for war and a time for peace.

The second conclusion was to:

 ¹ Don’t let the excitement of youth cause you to forget your Creator

The final conclusion and most important was to:

¹³ That’s the whole story. Here now is my final conclusion: Fear God and obey his commands, for this is everyone’s duty. ¹⁴ God will judge us for everything we do, including every secret thing, whether good or bad.

Solomon’s words shows the paths in life that lead to emptiness and helps us to discover true purpose in life.  Such wisdom can spare us from the emptiness that results from a life without God.  Solomon teaches the meaning in life is not found in knowledge, money, pleasure, work, or popularity.  True satisfaction comes from knowing that what we are doing, is part of God’s purpose for our lives.  This is a book which can help free us from our scramble for power, approval, and money, and draw us closer to God.

Another lesson to learn from Solomon and his fall from grace because of wealth and power, is that the nation of  Israel was split between  the northern tribes and the southern tribes.  Why?  He taxed the people “to death” so to speak to pay for his own worldly kingdom he created.  How can we apply this to the United States of today versus the United States of yester years?  The income tax was’t even around until the early 20th century.  This would have been unthinkable in past centuries.

www.GotQuestions.org

Question: “Does the Bible contain errors, contradictions, or discrepancies?”If we read the Bible at face value, without a preconceived bias for finding errors, we will find it to be a coherent, consistent, and relatively easy-to-understand book. Yes, there are difficult passages. Yes, there are verses that appear to contradict each other. We must remember that the Bible was written by approximately 40 different authors over a period of around 1500 years. Each writer wrote with a different style, from a different perspective, to a different audience, for a different purpose. We should expect some minor differences. However, a difference is not a contradiction. It is only an error if there is absolutely no conceivable way the verses or passages can be reconciled. Even if an answer is not available right now, that does not mean an answer does not exist. Many have found a supposed error in the Bible in relation to history or geography only to find out that the Bible is correct once further archaeological evidence is discovered.

Answer:

We often receive questions along the lines of “Explain how these verses do not contradict!” or “Look, here is an error in the Bible!” Admittedly, some of the things people bring up are difficult to answer. However, it is our contention that there are viable and intellectually plausible answers to every supposed Bible contradiction and error. There are books and websites available that list “all the errors in the Bible.” Most people simply get their ammunition from these places; they do not find supposed errors on their own. There are also books and websites available that refute every one of these supposed errors. The saddest thing is that most people who attack the Bible are not truly interested in an answer. Many “Bible attackers” are even aware of these answers, but they continue to use the same old shallow attacks again and again.

So, what are we to do when someone approaches us with an alleged Bible error? 1) Prayerfully study the Scriptures and see if there is a simple solution. 2) Do some research using some of the fine Bible commentaries, “Bible defense” books, and biblical research websites. 3) Ask our pastors/church leaders to see if they can find a solution. 4) If there is still no clear answer after steps 1), 2), and 3) are followed, we trust God that His Word is truth and that there is a solution that just simply has not been realized yet (2 Timothy 2:15, 3:16-17).

© Copyright 2002-2010 Got Questions Ministries.

From Gail:

Concerning apparent contradictions in the Bible–remember that English is a extremely hard language to translate because it isn’t pure and has so many different meanings for one word.  This isn’t true for Greek and Hebrew, the original languages of the Bible.  Let’s look at some examples.

  ¹ Judge not, that ye be not judged. (Matthew 7:1)

 ¹⁵ But he that is spiritual judgeth all things, and he himself is judged of no man. (I Corinthians 2:15).

This appears like a contradiction but isn’t.  They are two different words that translate to the one English word judge.  The first is “krino.”  This is a condemnation type judging that Jesus is talking about.  Judges used the word krino in the courtroom.  The second is the Greek word “anakrino.”  It is a discernment type judging, when you are sizing up a situation or forming an opinion.

You will find many such examples in the Bible.  When you study Bible history, you will see ample historical evidence to confirm the Bible.  Archeological discoveries are validating the Bible daily.  The dead sea scrolls also confirm that early scribes did translate accurately word for word.